Authority Ends E-ZPass Break For Non-N.J. Customers
WOODBRIDGE, N.J. (AP) -- Drivers who have E-ZPass accounts in other states soon won't get off-peak discounts when they pass through New Jersey.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority voted unanimously to end the discounts on Tuesday, spokesman Tom Feeney said. The change will go into effect on July 1 and will affect Class 1, or passenger, vehicles traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike.
The authority estimated that E-ZPass users who set up their accounts in other states will now pay about 34 percent more during off-peak travel through New Jersey. New Jersey E-ZPass customers won't be affected by the change.
Off-peak hours are defined as anytime Monday through Friday except for 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The new rates would raise an estimated $16 million a year, Feeney said. Projections for July 1 through the end of the year were not available.
Other states, including Delaware and New York, already use similar pricing models for in-state and out-of-state accounts, Feeney said.
Anyone can set up an E-ZPass account in New Jersey, even non-residents, and E-ZPass customers can have accounts in more than one state.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
